שלום חברים
shalom chaverim
The Hebrew phrase for "hello friends" is שלום חברים (shalom chaverim).
שלום חברים is a friendly greeting used when addressing a group of friends.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of שלום, which literally means "peace" but is the standard way to say "hello" and חברים, which means "friends".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form you choose depends on the gender and number of people you are addressing. While שלום חברים is used for a general group, if you are addressing only one male friend, you use the singular form שלום חבר. If you are addressing a group consisting only of female friends, you use שלום חברות.
How do you pronounce it?
shalom chaverim
Did you know?
- The word שלום is used for both 'hello' and 'goodbye'. This means you can greet your friends and bid them farewell using the exact same word.
- In Hebrew, the word חברים can mean both 'friends' and 'members'. For example, a club member is called a חבר in the same way a friend is.
- The word שלום shares the same ancient roots as the Arabic word 'salām', making the concept of 'peace' as a greeting a common thread across Middle Eastern languages.
Examples in context
- שלום חברים, מה קורה?shalom khaverim, ma kore?Hello friends, what's happening?
- שלום חברים, ברוכים הבאים!shalom khaverim, brukhim ha-ba'im!Hello friends, welcome!
- שלום חברים, אני שמח לראות אתכם.shalom khaverim, ani same'akh lir'ot etkhem.Hello friends, I am happy to see you.
Example conversation
Rotem arrives at a group gathering where Itay is waiting.
- רוטם Rotemשלום חברים! הגעתי.Shalom chaverim! Higati.Hello friends! I arrived.
- איתי Itayהיי רוטם, איזה כיף שאת כאן.Hey Rotem, eize kef she'at kan.Hi Rotem, it's great that you are here.
- רוטם Rotemתודה, איתי. מה קורה?Toda, Itay. Ma kore?Thanks, Itay. What's up?
- איתי Itayהכל טוב, בואי לשבת.Hakol tov, bo'i lashévet.Everything is good, come sit.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שלום, CC BY-SA 4.0.
